And I Rise in Agony
by My Reality Is My Own
Summary: Sequel to 'I Fall to Fear'. Because the aftermath is almost worse; and now they are trying to recover. Tony/Loki
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Sequel to 'I Fall to Fear'. Because the aftermath is almost worse; and now they are trying to recover. [Tony/Loki]

I hope this is good enough. O.o I can't believe the demand I had for the sequel, but thank you all so much~

Warnings; talk of noncon, slash, violence, smut (eventually)

~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~

"He's not telling us something."

Bruce glanced up at Clint, deciding not to say anything and let the rest of the team talk. He cleaned his glasses on his shirt for a moment, thinking back to the way Tony held himself, how his eyes skirted around and eyed the exists and windows and how everyone sat around him. How he unconsciously hid himself behind Loki without it being noticeable. And he felt a familiar ache in his head, a swell of anger but he begged the Hulk to calm down. He had no one to take it out on at the moment.

"He was tortured." Steve muttered. "He doesn't need to tell us more than that, does he?"

Natasha shrugged. "We need to know everything in case something comes up...He was barely recovering from his hydrophobia and now he has to go through it all again."

"That gives us a right do force him to re-experience those things?" The blond man demanded. "Tony...he said he's been through this before. Why was that never brought up if this is such an issue?"

"Because he was dealing with it." Bruce answered, annoyed when they looked at him in surprise. "I lived here first, before it was Avengers Tower or whatever. He...tried to explain things once, but I mostly had to ask Jarvis. He was in a cave for three months before he made his first suit and escaped... They tortured him and killed the squad that had been with him. He watched people die protecting him, being killed with weapons he had made. And he was...redeeming himself through Iron Man."

Clint sighed. "What do you think then, Bruce? You think it's worth bothering him about it?"

"My brother won't let you." Thor cut in. "It is rare to see him care for anything, not since his childhood, but he is fiercely protective...I thought the trait had died out with...with his last son."

They all looked up at that, Natasha beating them to it. "Loki had children?"

The thunder god nodded, looking suddenly exhausted. "He was always coddling, even towards me. He prefered animals though, once Asgard began to become weary of him. If not practicing, I could usually find him in the stables, but when he had his third son, my Father took them away from him."

"W-what?" It was surprisingly Clint that stood up, face twisted into something none of them recognized. "Why? Was he a bad parent?"

"No, never." Thor hissed. "My brother loved them, but they were meant to destroy Asgard. My Father had no choice but to lock them up. But ever since, Loki changed." He slowly smiled, blue eyes brimming with a small bit of hope. "This...this could mean something for him. For him to care for Friend Tony, to be released from my Father's punishment, means he has learned something."

"What was the punishment?" Steve asked.

Thor hesitated, knowing that Loki had his reasons for not telling them. He didn't want to betray that trust. "I cannot say; you would have to ask him, and I believe he will tell us someday. It seems he will be staying here for awhile."

"Great." The archer muttered but it seemed to lack his usual enthusiasm. "We're really just going to allow Loki to take care of him though?"

"I doubt any of us could do anything otherwise." Natasha replied. "You saw the way he guarded him, and Tony doesn't seem to mind too much. Something drastic would have had to happen for someone like Tony to trust Loki after only a week."

"What do we know about this Hammer guy?" Bruce asked, fighting the urge to walk over to Tony's room and check on him. He had a feeling it wouldn't be appreciated.

"He's nothing we need to worry about. Not really." Clint replied. "I read the report on him when he was arrested, the guy's a worm. He'd have to have someone leading him, and that's who we need to worry about."

Natasha nodded. "Hammer was the one who planned to have _Iron Man _killed at the Stark Expo by releasing a convict that almost killed Tony. He wanted it to be a bit of a show so he could introduce his own cheap version of the suit, but other than planning, he's useless. We need to know who bailed him out."

"You'll be surprised."

They all looked up as Coulson walked into the lounge, carrying a large binder of papers and looking very much alive. He gave a smile when they all stared, no one making a sound. Raising an eyebrow, he sat down on an open armchair.

"Is this going to take much longer?"

"Son of Coul!" Thor boomed, easily wrapping his arms around the man and picking him up into a hug. "You breathe once more! It is good to have you among us all again."

The Agent patted him on the shoulder, fixing his jacket once he was finally released. "Is it really that surprising?"

"You died!" Clint hissed, eyes wide.

He shrugged. "And then I stopped. Can we get back on subject? The fact that someone could kidnap an Avenger and keep him for a week is a little...uncomfortable. Director Fury is currently going through backgrounds and sent me to help you out."

"Who...who bailed him out of jail?" Bruce asked, unnerved with talking to a dead person.

Coulson placed the binder on the coffee table. "I'm sure most of you know him somehow. General Thaddeus Ross, who seems to have taken an interest into our network, especially about Stark's Reactor."

Bruce swallowed roughly, staring as a picture of the man was revealed. He looked the same, he hadn't changed at all. The man was still a hateful, cruel _monster_ and wasn't that the ironic thing since now the Hulk was an Avenger and a hero.

"Dr. Banner." Coulson said gently, getting him to snap out of his thoughts. "I realize this might be hard for you...but we need you here with us. Especially Stark, he trusts you the most."

"I'm, I'm good, I'm okay..." he muttered, ignoring the way everyone looked at him and the odd feeling of pride in his chest. "What do we know?"

Coulson shook his head. "We should wait for Stark. He's met with General Ross before, he might be able to give us some idea why he'd be interested in Hammer."

"Shall I retrieve him?" Thor asked. "I fear if it was anyone else, my brother might not...react well."

"How long has he been sleeping?" Coulson asked.

"Almost an hour and a half...he looked exhausted when we came in." Steve answered, looking pale as he stared at Coulson.

The Agent sighed. "I guess...but if we can't get Stark here, at least get Loki."

Thor nodded and headed off, the room turning tense at the thought of the God of Mischief joining them again. Still, it was apparent that for Steve and Clint, they had more important things to deal with.

"How...?" the archer finally managed. "How are you...You were dead, we checked."

Coulson hesitated. He hated remembering; the feeling of pain in his chest and forcing himself to distract the god so he could test the weapon on him, having the perfect life for a brief moment in death before forced to go on a cold, painful and horrifying journey to return to his body. And the whole time, a hand guiding him until his eyes opened. That moment was sacred. He had been spared by a god and returned to life.

"I returned him."

The Agent sighed in relief, turning to look at Loki. "Loki. I take it Stark isn't ready to join us?"

The black haired god gave a nod in greeting. "Son of Coul. I believe it might be a few days before he is ready to come back on your little team, but give him a day or so and he shall be consulting for Shield once again, even if they have proven themselves less than worthy."

"Loki...brought you back to life?" Steve asked slowly, eyes wide. Was that a regular occurrence in this time?

Loki glared at him. "Yes, but it is not something I make a habit of. Do not think that I will do the same for any of you."

"Don't I feel special." Coulson said, ignoring the looks.

"You were being readied for Valhalla. Hela does not make that call lightly."

Thor grinned, thumping the man on the shoulder in pride. "It is the highest of honors for a warrior! And you have the pleasure of meeting my niece, she is a wonderful ruler."

The team slowly put those words together. Smirking, Loki crossed his arms and watched them connect the dots. The way they all paled was all he'd hoped for. Grinning, he seated himself next to the doctor, eying the picture while he waited for everyone else to catch up.

"Your daughter...rules over the dead..." Clint said.

"Yes."

"And she can decide to return someone back to life?" The archer asked.

Loki raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, but she usually does not. Hela is very possessive of the souls she gets, it is only because I asked it of her that she did so."

He shared a look with Natasha, who looked unimpressed except for the paler tone of her skin. "We're so fucked."

"We need to get back on topic." Bruce interrupted, annoyed. Everyone immediately quieted down. "What do we have on Ross?"

Coulson nodded. "So far, since Stark has met with him, General Ross has returned to his military duties but they've been keeping an eye on him. Since the...incident in Harlem, he's been prone to disobedience and they've put him on a tight leash. However, lately he's been away on 'family business' and then he bailed out Hammer."

Bruce frowned. "Do you think he'd want weapons for against the Hulk? He's been very clear how he feels about him."

"It could be. But then why a Helicarrier?"

Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well, we had something we thought could contain the Hulk, right? Maybe that was part of it?"

"Not much of a containment if it could not hold Thor." Loki pointed out dryly.

"Why have Loki though?" Natasha asked, glancing between the two gods.

Thor frowned at this. "An alliance? Loki, your magic would be powerful enough to at least immobile the Hulk, is it not?"

Loki rolled his eyes when everyone else stilled. "Most likely. I have not done so yet because it takes away the fun of dealing with him."

Bruce muttered something under his breath while Coulson nodded. "Alright, so could someone use your magic? Like, siphon it from you?"

"No, it is not possible. My magic is not like other wielders, it is apart of me." the God of Mischief replied.

"Good to know..." Clint muttered, easily meeting the trickster's smirk with a raised eyebrow.

Bruce heaved a sigh, pulling his glasses off to play with them. "So, what do we do then? Do you think Hammer will come after Tony again?"

Coulson nodded. "Natasha, Clint, you both will be keeping an eye on General Ross. I don't think I trust the reports being sent in by the military. The rest of us are going to be staying here. I don't doubt Hammer coming back for Stark."

"He can try." Loki muttered darkly.

"When do you want us to start?" Natasha asked the agent.

Coulson glanced at some papers. "Tomorrow. I have to go let Fury know, so Rogers," He smiled at the man. "You'll be sending in weekly reports about what's going on. Especially on Stark, so we'd appreciate it if you could play nicely with us, Loki."

Thor placed a hand on his brother's shoulders, grinning. "I am sure there will be no problem with that, right, brother?"

Loki's eyes narrowed. "For now."

"Good." Coulson got up and nodded his head. "Pleasure to be back working with you all."

There was a moment of silence as they all contemplated what they were about to do. Steve stood up, muttering about the gym on a lower floor. He paused though, hesitating as he glanced up at Loki.

"Thanks...for Agent Coulson."

"I did not do it for any of you." Loki said immediately, eyes narrowing. "He had proved me wrong. It is not something that happens often."

Steve nodded. "Still, thanks. You didn't have to do it at all."

Rolling his eyes, the trickster left, obviously heading back to Tony's room. The super soldier grinned. "It'd be nice if he was permanently on the team."

"Do not count my brother out just yet." Thor grinned, thumping the man on the back. "I am beginning to believe that Howardson may still turn him away from his path of anger and vengeance."

"Let's worry about their little budding romance later." Clint said. "I'm going on ahead to get ready for tomorrow. Keep an eye on Stark...even if he's gone through torture before, something's different this time."

Both assassins headed out. When Thor decided to join Steve in the gym to spar, Bruce went off into the lab Tony had left him. He didn't even blink when Loki joined him not ten minutes later, and tried not to think too much about how easily he got along with the god when he wasn't twisting words and such into some kind of trap.

It made him feel a bit better that the God of Mischief was currently looking after his best friend.

~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~~

I hate it. :x Sorry it's not that great for a first chapter of a sequel, but I really wanted to get a set up. -sighs- Please let me know if anything is too...gross and blehish, okay? I love hearing from you all, and I re-read every review I receive. :3

Note; I said my favorite aspect of Loki was his parenthood. Well, another is his strength that people seem to forget. He is a sorcerer, he is a god and he is a Jotun prince. He might not be physically stronger than Thor, but in the movie, he could fight him head on and be on even ground. So, that's something I will emphasize in this. Thank you.

MRIMO


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the wait. :3 Started a job and such so been a little busy. .

Warnings; talk of noncon, slash, violence, smut (eventually)

~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~

_"Loki...why have you called upon me so soon?"_

_ Loki's eyes narrowed, watching as the masked man climbed on top of the human known as Anthony Stark, a feeling of anger and a need to hurry overwhelming any snarky comments he would have for his adoptive father. He would deal with the man's smugness at a later time; he wouldn't allow Stark to be raped because of Odin. Growling, he forced his eyes away from the scene and looked up the Allfather._

_ "You know the situation I am in, you have Heimdall's eyes follow me, and I do not ask for your help for my own sake. I ask that you give me back my powers long enough to secure the safety of Anthony Stark."_

_ Odin gazed at the younger god in disbelief. "And why should I allow this? Your punishment has not been fulfilled."_

_ "I know that!" Loki hissed. "But do you really expect me to sit here and watch him be completely destroyed? He is a friend of Thor's, isn't that enough to help him?"_

_ "You have not learned your lesson, and so the seal remains."_

_ Loki glanced away from the other realm back to where he was physically sitting. There was so much blood as the guard smashed Stark's face into the stone ground and he pulled out a knife to begin cutting through the tattered remains of the mortal's pants._

_ "You cannot do this to him. He is a hero to these humans, he protects them and he never asks anything in return." Loki said, in shock that Odin would even consider allowing this to happen just to teach him a lesson. "You once told me you would not wish this on your enemies, much less a mortal."_

_ Odin shook his head. "It cannot be done, Loki."_

_ His fists curled, knuckles turning white. And that was when Stark began to cry, uttering pleas of mercy and of death. But never the information they wanted. He couldn't, he had said, and he really wouldn't. It was horrifying to see a man that fought against Loki head-on with no fear being reduced to this; to be broken and so helpless against a mere human._

_ "Please." Loki whispered, and he forced himself to bow to the Allfather. "Do not allow him to turn out like me, Allfather. There is still hope for him, but if this continues...Return my powers just until I can assure his safety and you may seal me again."_

_ "You would beg for him?" Odin asked. "You have not done so since Hela."_

_ Loki nodded. "I would."_

_ A moment of silence and Loki forced himself not to look at Stark and what might be happening to him while the supposed great King of Asgard considered. The hatred and fury was becoming a burning in his chest until finally, he felt the flow of magic in his skin once more. He didn't acknowledge the Allfather, only turning to the guards and allowing his magic to enter their bodies._

_ The screaming was beautiful as he slowly tore them apart. The one guard died quickly, but the one that would dare attempt to force himself on an unarmed hostage, Loki peeled off skin and muscle and broke bones until the man was nothing more than a weeping, stuttering pile of blood and pulp. It was only when he heard Stark give another sob that he finally killed him, knowing that he needed to get them both out of here._

_ He wouldn't allow this to happen again; ever._

~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~~~

Tony was awake when Loki returned to his room, playing around on a large screen that seemed to float in the air. Curious, the god sat next to him and examined it as the shorter man watched more news, mostly covering his brief disappearance. Coulson was answering questions and mostly dodging any information about who had taken the billionaire in the safety of a mansion full of superheroes.

"We got a game plan now?" Tony asked, hesitating only slightly to lean his head on Loki's shoulder. "Did you play nice?"

Loki merely smirked, tapping the screen and pausing it. He raised an eyebrow when Tony looked impressed. "They are starting their mission tomorrow. You and I are on standby so I can carve out Hammer's heart."

The human man made a face but didn't object. That bothered Loki, though he decided not to comment; even a Hero was allowed hatred and revenge so it didn't really surprise him that Tony would take such violence in stride. Still, he was curious how far it ran.

"You can try, but there wouldn't be anything to take." Tony muttered darkly, his good hand coming up to rub at his Arc Reactor.

The god's eyes narrowed. "Do not dare compare yourself to him, Stark."

Tony nodded before eyes lighting up. "Are you okay...with the whole healing thing now?"

"I believe I can manage," the god responded lightly. "Though, I have not been without my magic before in such a way...I may stay in here until it returns."

"Well, I'm not gonna throw you out. Gives me an excuse to keep you here without me getting all whiny and clingy." Tony said, grinning. "What do you need me to do?"

Loki gently took the injured hand, unraveling the wrappings that were bloodstained and stuck painfully to each other. The god scowled every time the human flinched or hissed, green eyes darkening into something unfamiliar. When it was off, Tony sighed in relief and leaned back into the pillows of his bed.

Without saying anything else, Loki began to allow his magic to infuse itself into the damaged skin. Healing wasn't an unpleasant sensation, but there was so much healing and fixing that it was painful. He could feel the way Tony tensed up and bit his lip, refusing to make a noise least he distract the god.

It was a slow process; the bones healed first, then the tendons and muscles. Veins knitted together and blood began to flow again. The skin merged back into something recognizable and the color slowly returned. By the time the magic ran out, Loki was breathing hard and sweating, not surprised to see that his own skin was beginning to turn blue. His eyes narrowed in displeasure.

"Guess Ice Fairy wasn't too far off?" Tony slowly asked, staring up at his face. "Is this...what you're supposed to look like?"

Loki scuffed, standing up just to get away from the human. He had hoped this wouldn't happen, but things didn't like going his way, it seemed. He hated his Juton form, hated that he had to look like a monster, but it was worth it to see the way Tony gently flexed his hand, everything in working order.

"It shall pass once I have my magic back." he said, crossing his arms. "Do not get used to this form."

Tony frowned. "I don't understand...is there anything wrong with this form? I mean, blue skin is a bit odd but you're forgetting we live with Bruce here. And the eyes are really awesome, never seen such a color before..."

Sighing, the God of Mischief seated himself once again, reaching out a hand for the billionaire to take. Without hesitating, he did, flinching slightly at the chill that rolled off of Loki's skin. He was still staring at his eyes.

"I was raised believing this to be a face of a monster that would devour any wayward Aesir. Thor and I often spoke of slaying every last Juton until they faced extinction." Loki muttered. "Then the Allfather revealed that I am one of them."

Tony winced. "Ouch...Well, I don't know what the rest of them look like, but you look good like this. And, are those like, fangs? Damn. That's pretty bad ass, I'm not going to lie."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "You are a strange mortal, Stark."

"So I've been told." the shorter man muttered, grinning. "Thank you, though...I thought that, maybe..."

His words trailed off as he looked at his once damaged hand. Loki nodded, knowing that he had feared being crippled or never being able to be independent. From the look on Tony's face, though, it was still sore and stiff, but that would pass on its own.

"So, you're going to hide in here until you're not blue?" Tony asked, grinning when Loki glared at him. "It just doesn't seem like a big deal, is all. I can see maybe you wanting to hide this from Thor, but everyone else? They're not gonna care."

"Do not make me seal your mouth shut." he muttered darkly. "I can convince the Captain that it's for your healing."

Tony pouted. "Rude."

They both looked up when there was a knock on the door, Loki's eyes narrowing as he fought between hiding his form and protecting Tony. When he saw that the billionaire planned on getting up to answer the door, the protectiveness won out and he growled at him, stalking over to the door and wrenching it open.

"May I help you, Captain?" He hissed.

Tony giggled at the look on the blond man's face, Steve's eyes wide as he took in Loki's new form. "U-uh, just wanted to let you know that dinner's ready. Clint and Natasha have headed off on their mission early to get more information."

"What'd you make?" Tony called, peering at him from around Loki's form. "Did you cook? Pepper always saying your cooking is amazing."

There was a pause as Steve blushed and look sheepish. "I-I did, but it's just burgers. Bruce thought it might make you feel better."

"Ballin." Tony hooked arms with Loki and pulled him towards the kitchen. "I forgive you about Pepper, Cap."

Loki sighed in resignation, and Tony had no doubts that if he really, _really_ didn't want the others to see this form, then they wouldn't. Even without magic, the god was hell lot stronger than Tony. It touched the billionaire that Loki would be seen like this just to 'protect' him.

"Thanks." he whispered.

The trickster rolled his red eyes, though he smirked. "If Thor faints, I shall not be the one to help him..."

Dinner was interesting, Tony mused. Steve followed after them, eyes never leaving Loki. Bruce only did a double take before he smiled and didn't bring it up again. He probably knew how uncomfortable Loki was given circumstances. Thor froze, hands twitching and he seemed unable to look at his adoptive brother the rest of the night. It irritated Tony, but the liesmith didn't seem bothered. He knew it would be like this.

"Got my hand fixed." Tony told them, allowing Bruce to examine it. "Loki's doing, of course. Got my own Guardian Ice Fairy."

He yelped when he was prodded in the side with a fork, which was quickly followed by being soothed by a cold touch. Tony almost smiled, knowing that the god was worried that it would've caused a flashback or a breakdown. Somehow, the mere touch chased away any memories.

"Why have you lowered your glamor, brother?" Thor asked, still unable to meet his eyes.

Loki sneered at him. "Does it make you uncomfortable, Thor? This is how I was born, why should I hide?"

Steve and Bruce shared a look, though it was Bruce that broke the tension. "Why haven't we seen this form before? It's interesting..."

"Thank you!" Tony yelled, grinning. "I think it's gorgeous and he called me insane and weird." Thor and Steve choked on whatever they were eating, causing the grin to widen. "Aw, come on, guys. Look at him."

"You _are_ insane, Stark." Loki said, neither bothered or annoyed.

"So," Steve began, clearly changing the subject. "It seems that General Ross is behind Hammer, maybe to force you into making something to contain the Hulk. We're not sure yet, so Tasha and Clint are going to be looking into it."

Tony nodded. "Ross and Hammer, huh? Kinda scarey."

"It doesn't make a lot of sense, though..." Steve muttered. "Why get Hammer if he's as bad as you say?"

"He wants me very, very dead. That's the only reason I can think of." Tony shrugged. "Rhodey was always convinced that he was secretly in love with me." Loki snorted but didn't say anything, ignoring their curious looks. He just smirked, and they all decided it wasn't worth it. "Anyway, if Ross is really after Bruce, then I don't get why he'd come for me. I didn't build the original containment cage, so he's got no reason to come after me other than I'm a genius."

"Not to inflate your ego, but that might be why." Bruce said. "You saw that the original didn't hold up and might be able to make a new one that _is_ able to contain the Hulk."

Tony shrugged. "I wouldn't though."

Bruce frowned then. "I would rather you did...you looked horrible yesterday..."

"Why didn't you tell them about the Helicarrier?" Steve asked. "Even if it was fake information, it would've gotten them off your back."

"They would've known." the billionaire argued. "Hammer's an idiot but he does own his company and that counts for something. He would've caught on pretty quickly and then I'd still would've been tortured."

He almost jumped upon feeling Loki's hand on his arm, hidden under the table. He put his own hand over it, feeling embarrassed when his heart returned to its normal speed; he hadn't even noticed that it had sped up, or that his skin had gone pale. If anyone else noticed, they didn't mention it.

"So, are we gonna sit around until we're either attacked or until the leather couple get back to us?" Tony asked, curious.

Steve nodded. "Basically."

"You've been cleared for the workshop." Bruce said, giving a small smile when Tony raised an eyebrow. "They wanted to keep you out, given the sharp objects. But since Loki's with you, it shouldn't be a problem."

"They trust Loki more than they trust me?" He looked over at the God of Mischief in shock. "They trust the God of _Lies_ before they trust the owner of the building. I fucking hate Shield."

"I don't think I would trust either of us." Loki commented, inspecting his black nails.

Bruce laughed. "Still, if you want, you can go down there. Maybe find a way to keep the suit on you at all times until this blows over."

"Eh, might find a way to infuse the damn thing into my body." Tony muttered darkly. "I don't see anyone else being kidnapped all the time."

He left, making his way to his workshop. Sighing, he took a seat at his main desk and wasn't surprised to see Loki examining some of his robots or his suits. The blue skin melted into the shadows, making him far stealthier than he already was; not that he needed any help.

"I didn't throw a fit just now, did I?" Tony asked, only half joking.

Loki chuckled. "Maybe, but I do not disagree. Shield seems far too accepting that I am here to assist them. If not for you, I would have killed them all by now."

He grinned, that odd sense of pride washing over him again. "Well, might as well get some work done...you mind giving me a hand? You're smart and shit, might be able to give me some ideas."

He paused, realizing how that last bit might sound but shrugged it off. Sexually assaulted or not, he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity if Loki gave him one. Especially now that he was all blue skin and red eyes; it made the god more exotic and less human.

"I believe I can be of assistance." Loki offered, giving him a look. He obviously caught the "innuendo" as well. Oops. "Your idea of keeping the suit with you...might not be too far off. How compact can you make it?"

Going into science mode, Tony began showing him blue-prints and layouts he and Bruce had come up with in the past few weeks. He relaxed immediately, back in his element and felt secure with the god around. It was made even better once Bruce joined them, the pair getting along surprisingly well.

He could definitely get used to this.

~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~

So, this chapter is totally unbeta'd. Usually I beg one of my friends to look it over, but I don't wanna bother them cuz it's late. -sobs- So please, forgive any spelling/grammar errors. I know I tend to have a lot of them. Q.Q

It's not very long since I'm suffering from being sick and a raging headache. I'll write another chapter soon though, promise. 3

MRIMO


	3. Chapter 3

I seriously blushed at all the people wishing me well. I never really expect people to read my little author notes! ::D

Warnings; talk of noncon, slash, violence, smut (eventually)

~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~

Leave it to when they're down two members (Steve says three but even at the heart of a breakdown, Tony won't sit back and not fight with his team) for a bunch of aliens to begin attacking the city. Fury called in over the speakers that littered the entire tower and immediately they were in action. When Tony went to get his armor, Steve stopped him.

"Tony, no." Steve pleaded, almost begging. "You might be healed but you can't...you're not not ready. Please."

"You can't expect me to sit this out when we're already down two members, Cap." Tony argued. "I'm fine, you guys need me, I don't see what the problem is."

They both jumped when Loki appeared, not used to the blue skin. "How many are there?"

"Uh, not a lot. Fifty, maybe?" Steve looked uncomfortable, whether by how Loki looked or just by the god being there, they weren't sure. "It's a new race, nothing like the Chitari so we don't have any idea what they're capable of."

"Exactly why you need me with you." The billionaire cut in. It was rather...creepy when the two of them shared an annoyed look at his expense. "C'mon, Dad, I promise to be in by curfew."

Steve glared at him. "No, Tony."

"I'm just going to ignore you and go anyway."

"It is in your best interest to be careful." Loki muttered darkly, red eyes narrowing. "Magic or not, if something happens to you, I will sink this entire state into the ocean."

Tony opened his mouth to commented but stopped, not sure how to respond to that exactly. All he could come up with was, "Uhh..."

Steve rubbed his temples. "We're doomed, aren't we? It just had to be Loki, didn't it?"

"I hate to interrupt, but if you ladies could get a move on it." Fury's voice cut in through the speakers. "Also, while Loki had served his punishment, I must..._politely _ask him to board the jet. Agent Coulson will keep an eye on him."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah, he's kinda standing right here soo..."

"I guess I can cooperate." the god said. "If only to see how you 'Avengers' fight these new aliens."

Steve let out a sigh of relief. "We appreciate it, Loki." He pointed at Tony, eyes narrowed. "We're going to talk about this later."

"Long as I'm not grounded for prom."

They boarded the jet, Bruce and Thor already waiting for them. Bruce gave the billionaire a look but didn't say anything about it since he was currently talking to Loki about mixing his suit with magic. Steve rolled his eyes but just sat down next to Coulson.

"Any new intel?"

The Shield Agent nodded. "Our good friends of Hydra were messing with some kind of portal. It brought these guys over, but they couldn't control them, so they began attacking the city. Luckily there's only a handful. They have a strong exoskeleton, but the joints are weak." He paused, eying the God of Mischief. "Can I ask why Loki's blue?"

"God, Phil!" Tony grinned, trying to looked scandalized. "You can't just ask someone why they're blue!"

"It is an aftermath of using all of my magic." Loki answered. "Though it would be unwise to assume I am defenseless."

Coulson nodded, a crooked smile on his face. "This might be a good time to ask you, then; we need you as a consultant."

"Wha-You can't just give away my job!"

Loki raised an eyebrow. "What would that entail?"

"Basically, you keep watch over the team's fights. You would give them help about enemy weaknesses, how they can change their strategies mid-fight. It's the best we can offer at the moment since none of us trusts you."

"For good reason." the trickster bemused. "You realize that by allowing me to do this, I will know all the weaknesses of your team."

It was Bruce that answered. "Kinda burned that bridge already since you're staying with us."

"Look alive people." Fury came in from their comms, causing Tony's helmet to cover his face. "The area has been evacuated as far as we know, but we need property damage at a minimum."

"Do you want me to sit this out then?" Bruce asked hesitantly.

There was a brief pause. "I was mostly directing that at Thor, actually."

Tony laughed, though he covered it up in a fake cough when the God of Thunder glowered at him. "Right. Property damage is a no. Can we fight bad guys now? Or, bad...aliens? That doesn't sound as catchy. Let me work on that."

The jet hovered over a building, the hatch opening so they could depart. Steve and Bruce hopped out, followed by Thor while Tony took off in his suit to scoot the area. The team's leader hesitated for a moment, eying Loki suspiciously.

"Keep an eye on Coulson."

The hatch went up while the Shield Agent stared in shock.

"Did...did he just-"

Loki grinned. "I believe he did."

"You two are a bag of dick." Was the first thing out of Tony's mouth when he boarded the jet an hour later. "Seriously. Bag. Of. _Dick_."

"Such crude language, Stark." Loki tsked, grinning.

Bruce smiled, sitting down next to Coulson. "I thought it was pretty funny, actually."

"Oh, it was hilarious, up until the part where they started exploding guts everywhere." The billionaire muttered darkly. "'Hey Stark, make sure you hit them in the head! It'll be fun!' Oh and by the way, they explode into a bajillion pieces!"

"Loki's idea." Coulson said dryly as he continued reading through a bunch of papers.

Loki shrugged, attempting to look innocent. Sighing, Steve sat down as well before jumping back up. After noticing all the ice covering the chair, he glared at the God of Mischief.

"Oh, forgive me. I forgot your...distaste for ice." Loki said, red eyes glinting.

"Brother." Thor crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. "No more games."

The trickster rolled his eyes and removed the ice. After a moment, Steve sat back down, eying him warily while Tony laughed at him. "What you get for not getting any alien guts on you."

"Shut up, Stark." Fury's voice came in, causing said man to roll his eyes. "Good job out there, though I think the remains of the enemy might count as property damage. I'm taking it out of your bank account, Mr. Philanthropist."

"Yeah, whatever. Not like I can't afford it."

Coulson waved him off. "Loki believes he can close any portals that Hydra opens if we can find a way to track them and once he gets his magic back. All he asks for in return is we don't bother him."

"...I'll think about it." Fury hissed.

Tony snorted, grinning. "Were those your exact words or what?"

"Along those lines. I do not believe Director Fury would have liked what I originally said, so Son of Coul offered to translate." Loki replied.

"When can we expect to hear from Clint and Natasha?" Bruce asked suddenly.

"They're due to report in tomorrow morning. We'll go from there."

~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~

Tony and Loki were watching some World War II documentary that Steve had asked them to join him in seeing when Clint called them. Their leader paused the movie, looking determined as Tony raised the audio of the call.

"Hey guys, you there? Where's Loki?"

"Present, Agent Barton." the god answered, red eyes narrowing at the obvious disdain the archer had. Not that he could blame him.

Tony rolled his eyes. "What's up, Chocobo-Head?"

There was a pause. "Wha...?"

"We've got new info on Ross." Natasha's voice cut in. "He's got a base for his personal projects, but we managed to sneak inside." Clint made a noise in the background but no one commented. "We found some HammerTech and some notes about Hammer. We haven't seen him yet but we believe he's here."

"They also have a lot of notes on Tony's suit. And apparently they have a sample of Thor's blood that they've been analyzing but can't do shit with." Clint added.

Steve frowned. "Thor's blood?"

"They think that Loki and Thor are related by blood." Tony said. "Maybe they thought looking into that would give them some data on Loki since they kidnapped him too...How the hell did they get info on my suit?"

"Rhodes." Natasha muttered.

"Dammit."

Loki sighed, red eyes narrowed at nothing as he thought. "But for what purpose? What could they intend for me?"

Clint made an irritated noise. "We're still looking into that...there are more files we couldn't look into yet, but we'll call tomorrow with more info."

"Be careful." Steve said as the call cut out.

"Well, that was enlightening." Tony muttered.

Bruce and Thor entered the room, obviously having heard the conversation from wherever they had been. Thor's eyes were angry and hard. "They have stolen parts of me?"

Loki sighed. "Your blood, Thor. It is not essential to your well-being."

"They're having the same trouble we did then." Bruce said. "Still, now we have a bit of a lead. Loki, think you can let us have a look at your blood then?"

The god nodded. "As long as the information stays here. I would rather not have Shield looking into it."

Tony grinned. "No problem there. I'll be there in a minute, I gotta call Rhodie and see why the hell Hammer has stuff on my fucking suit."

"When should you get your magic back, brother?" Thor asked at their retreating backs. "We will need your assistance when capturing Justin Hammer."

"By the morning as long as these tests do not drain me in any way." Loki answered, sounding bored. "You will not need to look upon this form anymore."

"That is not-Brother, I do not..."

"Enough, Thor. Please, let us continue, Doctor."

Upon entering the Workshop, Bruce gave him a dry smile. "You might want to lighten up on Thor if you're going to be here, Loki. If he's distracted, he'll be more likely to get hurt."

"Not my problem." Loki muttered. "Thor constantly talks of having unconditional love for me as his brother but cannot bother to accept the form I was born in. I am not here to be an Avenger, I am here to protect Stark."

"Which in itself is odd, you must admit..." the Doctor pointed out.

The trickster shrugged, looking annoyed. "Thor picks a mortal to look after and he is a Hero. I pick one and am immediately looked upon in suspicion."

Sensing the line he was walking, Bruce nodded. "Well, Thor didn't try to invade our world when he first came here, but I can understand where you're coming from. Actually, I'm a bit jealous of you. Even you can find someone. I tend to...scare them off."

Loki eyed him a moment. "I am not coupling with Stark."

"That..." Bruce laughed out of surprise. "That's what you took from that?"

"I have a feeling you will have someone, Doctor. I see the way he looks at you."

Before Bruce could ask, Tony walked in, looking a mixture of irritated and excited. "Didn't start without me, did you?"

"Never." Bruce answered. "Where do you want to start?"

The billionaire looked Loki over, winking when he met his red eyes. "His blood, since that'll take the longest to analyze. Then skin samples, which we'll have to do again once he turns back into his non-blue self. Which sucks, by the way. I like the blue."

Loki smirked, deciding he could wait to tell him that he could take the form at will. "Just inform me what I need to do."

~~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~~~~~~

This chapter was haarrrddd to write. I started going into a different direction but thankfully, Yoshi helped me out and it went this way. And I definitely prefer this, haha. And I'm sorry for the Final Fantasy reference, my fangirl is showing...

Note; I'll try to go into how the Avengers don't fully trust Loki yet better later. Because they don't. Coulson likes Loki because, well, he brought him back to life and you never know what Hela told him. -laughs evilly- And Bruce can bond with him a bit. We'll see what direction that'll leave Clint in, and Natasha. Steve is getting there, kinda. I hope this makes a lick of sense.

Spiderman was amazing, btw.

MRIMO


	4. Chapter 4

I find it hilarious that I'm taking the relationship slow and people demand that they get together already, haha! You guys. XD

Warnings; talk of noncon, slash, violence, smut (eventually)

~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~

After half an hour of watching Bruce and Tony struggling to get blood and then when Loki himself cut his skin open for them, they couldn't make heads or tails of the blood-samples, the god finally decided to have mercy and explain why exactly it wouldn't work. Besides the fact that, well, he was a God. He tried not to show how amused by everything he was.

"So, what else doesn't hurt you?" Tony asked, looking over the pile of bent needles. "Can scissors cut your hair, can you stub your toe, what?"

Loki frowned, trying to recall. "When I first arrived, Shield shot me a couple times. The bullets did nothing."

Bruce frowned at that, looking a mixture of disturbed and curious. "Don't tell Natasha."

"What did it feel like? I mean, we can wear you out, but you don't really ever get hurt unless it's Thor, which I kinda get, you're both gods. But you're not Asgardian, so either both races are really fucking durable or us humans are screwed."

"It feels a bit like having a bug hit you." the god replied, grinning when the two humans groaned. "Your race is still young, though. It has much to learn, given you have not had any interaction with the other realms."

"...Pedophile."

"Anyway," Bruce cut in, glaring at his friend. "It looks like the blue is fading."

Loki looked at his hand, seeing that the ridges in his skin were beginning to lower and the blue was paling. He sighed in relief, ignoring Tony's disappointed look. He could feel his magic returning, like a burst of heat through his veins. That also meant he could handle Hammer when Shield found him.

"Is that everything you needed, Doctor?" Loki asked.

Bruce nodded. "I think so, since we can't do much..."

Without another word, the god gently took Tony's shoulder and teleported them from the lab into the billionaire's room. He chuckled when he heard the other curse about warnings, allowing him to pull away.

"At least I did not carry you this time."

Tony glared at him. "You're a dick. But, I had a bit of a request now that you have your magic back; kinda wanted to ask you if there was anyway you can like...stop me from dreaming."

"You mean the nightmares." the trickster muttered, eyes hardening. "They have been getting worse...?"

He made a face. "Kinda." Seeing the expression Loki pulled, he sighed. "Yeah, they have. And since we're currently just waiting for an opportunity to take down Hammer, I don't want to get kicked out of our little revenge club because the others think I can't handle it."

"And if you can't?" Loki muttered. "What if you freeze up, Stark? What if you get captured again? Are you prepared for that?"

He gave a dry smile. "That's why you're there though. Just in case. After all, I'm probably gonna need your help in keeping the team off of me for when I do find Hammer. Because the guys who physically...'attacked' me, you took care of so that means I get Hammer. They're not gonna like what I do."

He shifted nervously at the way the god eyed him; while he loved the blue skin, he much preferred the green eyes. Unless they were examining him like that.

"It will not happen anyway." Loki said, smirking at his confusion. "Him capturing you again. Whether I am there or not, I would not allow it. I swore that to you."

Tony nodded, pretending he didn't notice the way his body seemed to relax. "So then, is this...permanent?" He motioned to the both of them. "Like, once Hammer is taken care of, we lock up Ross, what then? Are you going to stay here, gonna try your hand at killing us again, gonna join the Avengers? I just need to know whether I should redecorate my room or not."

Loki surprised him by placing a hand gently on his cheek, making sure that the touch was welcome and not going to send him into a breakdown. "You are mine, Stark. I have not decided what I might do but that will not change."

The billionaire nodded, reaching out and grabbing the god by his sides, heart racing. "I, I might freak out a little, but...I really, really wanna kiss you now."

The god raised an eyebrow, eying him wearily. "Are you sure?"

He nodded, snorting. "Like hell am I missing an opportunity like this."

It was irritating that Loki had to lean down for him to kiss him, the god had almost a full foot on him, but it was worth it; Loki's skin was cold but his mouth was soft and almost contrastingly warm. Still; he had to remind himself to breathe, that Loki was not someone who would hurt him (which was an odd thing to think and even odder that it was true) but that didn't stop him from tensing up or his hands from trembling. _I am not going to have flashbacks, dammit. Not now._

He relaxed once he felt himself being pulled into a tight embrace, hiding his face into Loki's armor. He was angry at himself for being like this when he had been the one to initiate it, he was ashamed that he was supposed to be a hero and he was so relieved that the silver tongued liesmith wasn't saying anything about it.

"Was there a reason for that?" Loki asked him, sounding a mixture of amused and soothing.

Tony shrugged the best he could. "Been wanting to."

"Don't rush." Tony cursed when he felt his legs being lifted off the ground, punching the god in the chest. "I am not going anywhere, Stark."

"Stop. Doing that." he hissed, rubbing his now bruised knuckles.

"I would if you did not make such a fuss about it." Loki said, all but throwing the human on to the bed. "Now, hold still."

He gave him a weary look. "Why?"

The trickster rolled his eyes. "Because this spell is delicate and if you do not hold still, I might accidentally put you into a coma."

He placed a hand on Tony's forehead, who had then stiffened up, eyes glowing briefly. In a matter of seconds, the billionaire fell asleep, eyes rimmed in a green glow until he woke up. Knowing that he wouldn't have nightmares, Loki left, hesitating only a moment before teleporting away.

~~~~~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~~~

"The guards are shifting again." Clint whispered into his headset, easily overlooking the change from up in the rafters. "Every three hours. How are the locks?"

"Better than expected but it has nothing on Stark's." Natasha's voice came through the comms. He heard rustling, meaning she was in one of the other labs and looking through papers. "I keep finding Blue Prints. I'm taking pictures to send over, I can't make heads or tails of any of them...But they have Hammer's logo all over them."

The archer was going to respond but stopped, aware of eyes on him. Slowly, he reached for a knife in his boot before turning, easily jumping to a new rafter to get some distance. He froze when Loki grinned back, cursing and putting the knife away.

"What do you want?" He would ask how he got here, but probably didn't want to know.

Loki glanced over at the guards, apparently at home leaning against a pillar of wood. It looked rather uncomfortable. "Curiosity, Agent Barton. I was wondering what you and Ms. Romanov were doing and decided to check."

Clint rolled his eyes. "Well, now you know. Can you leave? Kinda busy here."

He was ignored. Not that he was surprised. "The rest of the team is under the impression that General Ross and Justin Hammer are trying to destroy your Hulk...What do you think, Barton?"

"You really wanna know? Why?" He asked suspiciously. He scowled when he only got a mocking smirk in reply. "Ross knows what the Hulk can do better than any of us. Except maybe Tony. I don't think he's under the impression that Hammer can do anything to him, not on his own...Just, been trying to figure out what the hell you have to do with it."

The god made a noise of agreement, frowning. "What do you plan on doing when we find them both?"

"Take em down. Probably 'accidentally' leave Hammer alone with Tony." Clint shrugged at the look he received. "I know that Tony isn't telling us something about what happened; something that made you two close enough that you're sitting here, pretending to like us just to make sure he's okay. Whatever the hell that is, it deserves some kind of revenge."

Loki grinned, nodding. "You are far more perspective than your comrades are led to believe."

"And listening to you talk gives me a headache." Clint shot. "Look, is there a reason you're having this conversation with me? Can't you go talk to Natasha or Coulson?"

The trickster shook his head, standing up and easily balancing despite the armor and leather. "I do not trust their input as much as yours, Agent Barton."

Clint stared at him, gaping. "...Why?"

"Because I have seen inside your heart. I know I can trust what is inside."

He was then gone. Right, Loki could apparently teleport. Good to know. Sighing, the archer reached to grab his other comm set to let Coulson know about the little chat but hesitated. Suddenly, he decided he'd rather keep that last little bit to himself.

"...Fucking Norse gods."

~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~~~~~

Tony woke up to the sound of knocking. It took him awhile to recognize the noise; he was groggy and his mouth felt dry and like he'd swallowed a handful of cotton balls. Still, he hadn't woken up in the middle of the night thanks to that spell Loki had put him under and that was something. So, he called for the door to open as he forced himself up.

"Tony!" Thor called, strolling into his room. "Steven has asked me to get you for breakfast. Also, do you know the whereabouts of my brother?"

It took the billionaire a minute before he pieced together that he was being asked a question. "Uh...he was here when I fell asleep but...I dunno. Jarvis?"

_"Mr. Laufeyson is not in the tower, sir. He left after you fell asleep."_

Glancing at the blond god, he shrugged. "Not here."

Thor frowned at this, easily pulling the shorter man to his feet. "I am surprised that my brother left you here...especially without explanation."

"I don't need a constant babysitter, he knows that." Tony muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Can we please eat and then we can worry about it? I'm starving."

"Side effect, I am afraid."

Tony almost jumped when Loki appeared next to him, green eyes looking almost concerned. "Sonova-! Fuck, don't do that!"

Loki grinned. "Forgive me, I did not mean to startle you. But it is a side effect of the spell I gave you, since it uses your own energy to work. Hence why I was unneeded."

"Where were you, Brother?" Thor asked, looking curious. He didn't seem bothered by the thought of Loki using his magic on Tony. Great. "The Son of Coul was asking for you."

"I merely visited Agent Barton to inquire about their progress." Loki muttered, brushing pass the Asgardian with Tony in wake. "Hurry up, Thor, I do not want to keep Stark waiting for your dull questions."

Thor pouted but did so, trailing after them. Tony grinned. His life was so weird. He raised an eyebrow when he entered the kitchen, surprised to see Coulson sitting there next to Steve. Bruce was drinking coffee at the counter, dark rings under his eyes. Apparently he hadn't slept well last night.

"Glad to see you back with us, Loki." Coulson greeted. "Barton apparently didn't appreciate the surprise visit. And you're no longer blue."

Loki shrugged. "I can change forms at will. Your agents were taking their time, so I wanted to see their progress myself."

"You...you can change forms whenever?" Tony asked, eyes wide. "Wow. And it's not even my birthday."

"Tony." Steve said warningly, pointing at a plate. "Eat. Don't talk."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mom. Are you gonna give me my lunch money too?"

"After your visit, we made contact with Hammer." Coulson explained, immediately drawing everyone's attention. "He and Ross showed up together. From what Barton could overhear, they're making something big. Romanov took pictures of the blue prints and sent them over."

Nodding, Tony brought forth a floating screen in front of him, bringing up the pictures Natasha had sent them. He threw them up, making them big enough that everyone could see. He and Bruce both stilled, taking in the structure.

"Is this..."

"It's a chamber...I think," Bruce removed his glasses, getting up from his seat. "I think it's a molecular decoder...No, the chemistry doesn't add up."

"Can we get this in English?" Steve asked.

Tony frowned. "Basically, we don't know exactly. But, if this is on a molecular level, it could be he's trying to force the radiation from Bruce's cells."

"That would part him from the Hulk?" Thor questioned, sounding concerned.

"We don't know." The billionaire answered. "After looking at his blood, we can't find what exactly is causing the change. Ross is probably getting desperate since Bruce is getting a lot of positive attention as an Avenger."

Bruce sighed. "It could be something else though. The amount of power he'd need for a Decoder like that..." He shook his head. "It's not possible at our current technology."

"What else could it be?" Coulson asked.

The two scientists shared a look, Tony shrugging before he answered. "Well, it has a chamber, so it could be a Container, but the dimensions seem wrong. Unless it's coded. Gas chamber, a teleporter, hell, maybe he's trying to recreate the Hulk or the Super Soldier serum. We don't know by just this."

"We need to get to them before they can make it." Steve said. "We can't just let them making it, especially if we don't know what it does."

"Are you planning on having your agents attack them?" Loki asked Coulson, green eyes narrowing. "You do not believe we would allow that, would you?"

Coulson shook his head. "We'll need the entire team for it. Ross is unpredictable and Hammer could have more weapons waiting for us. I'll speak with Fury about when we can move in."

"Progress." Tony grinned, going back to his food. "Anything else we should know about?"

"My presence is needed back in Asgard." Thor spoke up, glancing over at Loki. "My Father has fallen into the Odin sleep, and I must look after things with my mother."

Steve frowned, putting on his best Leader Face. "Maybe we should wait until you get back then..."

"That will not be necessary." Loki answered dryly. "Stark and I will deal with Hammer, you take care of Ross. Barton and Romanov can ensure we are alone."

"Brother..." Thor started but decided against whatever he was going to say. "Whatever you decide I will abide by. I leave tonight."

"We'll decide later." Coulson said, preparing to leave. "Expect to hear from me or Director Fury tonight."

~~~~~~Line Breaker~~~~~~~

This chapter seriously jumps around. O.o

I had a bit of trouble with this one, so I apologize for the wait. And I had a friend look some of it over; I didn't want to make it seem like the romance was completely out of nowhere. XD

I love you guys.

MRIMO


	5. Author's Note Sorry

Well...it's been awhile hasn't it?

I'm sorry if I've gotten your hopes up with a new chapter. But after getting countless questions about if this story was abandoned or not, I wanted to let you all know;

No. At the moment, I can't...write for Avengers. I can't get the characters down, I just can't seem to write any of them. So it's on a hiatus until I can get together enough to write the rest of it. I really only have a chapter or two left, really but I promise we will get there.

I thank you all for your patience.


End file.
